CWATS Pilot Project Promotes Safer Cycling

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The County of Essex is launching an active transportation pilot project to enhance safety on County Road 2 in Lakeshore.

The pilot project includes the use of bollards, curbing and increased signage and is the first of its kind for the County Wide Active Transportation System. The project hopes to more clearly separate the active transportation corridor from the roadway, creating protected bike lanes and promoting an improved user experience for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

County crews are installing rubber curbing and temporary bollards along a 5-kilometre stretch of County Road 2 from East Pike Creek Road to County Road 22. County crews are also applying green paint, further differentiating the bicycle lanes from the roadway. As well, signage is being enhanced along the route and barriers placed at intersections.

“The CWATS network is ever expanding and ever improving in response to active transportation best practices and feedback from residents,” said Diana Radulescu, Active Transportation Coordinator for the County of Essex. “This pilot project is modeled after successful initiatives in other jurisdictions and designed to promote safety by more clearly separating vehicular and active transportation traffic.”

This projects comes after residents voiced concerns that vehicular traffic was encroaching on the multi-use pathway, using it to pass other vehicles and for parking. Residents also expressed concerns with the speed of vehicular traffic in the corridor and about garbage bins being left on the pathway.

Since it is just a pilot project, the County of Essex wants feedback from residents, cyclists and pedestrians about the effectiveness of the changes and whether other solutions or ideas could be explored.